Friday 23 June 2017

#bookreview ~ Running Scarred (Scarred Series Book 1) #Military #Romance @wackyjackyful

Running Scarred

 (Scarred Series Book 1)

 By


Jackie Williams


He once had it all, but for three years retired special services expert, Patrick Reeves has hidden himself and his terrible war wounds from the world.

But when a bright, beautiful woman buys the ruined château and estate on which his own home stands, it is more than Patrick’s unerring control can bear. For her to flinch from his injuries would be terrible, but for her to pity him would be the final insult. His only option is to make sure she never sees him at all. 

Ellen doesn’t give a damn what Patrick looks like. With one glimpse of his shaded figure, one touch of his work roughened hands, and one hint of his masculine scent, she is his. Forever. 

Buying the abandoned French château had been a dream, her only desire since her brother was blown up in Afghanistan, if she could only capture the elusive Patrick, her world will be complete. 

But Patrick is hiding from far more than himself. 

Devastated when her wounded hero abandons her for a flame haired beauty, and terrified when her selfish ex fiancé reappears, Ellen discovers that she might not only lose her lover but also her life. 

Can Patrick escape in time to save the woman who loves and accepts him exactly as he is, or will she be lost to him forever while he has been Running Scarred for far too long?

What did I think of the Book?

Finding love after war…

When Ellen heard the devastating news that her brother had received life-changing injuries during his tour in Afghanistan, she knew that she would do anything and everything she could to help him and his comrades.

She dreams of buying a property which she could renovate into a luxury hotel for injured veterans. Luckily her new found inheritance can go a long way in making her dreams come true.

After months of searching she finds a ruined château in France which will be perfect for her hotel.

A chance encounter with a mysterious man in the château's grounds, gives Ellen the push to finally end her longterm relationship with a man who is only interested in her money. It also means she is free to get to know this mysterious man who makes her heart flutter just by speaking!

Patrick has hidden away from the world. He cannot stand to be looked on with pity or disgust, for the wounds he received during his tour of duty have left their scars. But Ellen has captivated his heart. Dare he take the risk of rejection when Ellen sees his shattered face?

I LOVED this book! It was wonderful to have the protagonist portrayed with a disability, and I really wish there were more romance books like this one. Running Scarred (Scarred Series Book 1) is up there with my all-time favourite romance reads. It was superb. Jackie Williams has treated her characters disability with great skill and compassion. Patrick is not defined by his disability, although when strangers and family alike look at him, that is how he is treated — they see the disability, not the man. I felt heartbroken when he hid away from the world because he could not face the reactions of people when they looked into his face. Ellen is a real breath of fresh air, who does not see the scars, but sees the man behind them — if only there were more people like Ellen.

The love story is sweet and realistic. This is the kind of romance book I would be more than happy for my teen to read. The plot is fast-paced, and I read the book in one sitting.

Make no mistake Running Scarred (Scarred Series Book 1) is a sit-down-and-finish book. It is definitely one I will be coming back to again.

I Highly Recommend.

Links for Purchase



About the author

I was born in Essex England during the mid sixties but I missed all the fun. Being only young I assumed that all Beatles were six legged creatures and Flower Power was something to do with the vigorous way my mother kneaded the bread dough.

My wonderful parents brought me up with a huge love of books. We read anything and everything. Bedtime stories were a treasured time of adventure and mystery. My sister and I sat wide eyed in wonder and to this day I worry about Dinah and Dorinda being pricked with pins because they grew so fat, and I never pull faces at the a waning moon (or was it a waxing one?) just in case my chops stay that way . (The Wind On The Moon)

I began reading romance while still at school. The fuel for many a teenage fantasy leapt from between the covers of wildly romantic books and my passion still lingers now for all those dark haired heroes.

My own beautiful teenage daughter persuaded me to write my first romance. She was only fourteen at the time and between books for children and adults. She couldn’t find anything that ticked all her numerous and particular boxes and so she asked me to write a book, with all the exact ingredients just for her. Though not just a book for teens, she enjoyed the resulting tale so much that she shared it with her friends and I eventually published A Perfect Summer as an ebook on amazon.

But I have discovered that writing is not easily stopped once you start. It has turned into a grand passion that I just cannot hold back. The fingertips start tapping the keys and ideas suddenly come flooding, far too many for just one book and so I began another and then another. Nine books later I am still nowhere near done. Book ten is on its way and only just the other night I woke from a wild and wonderful dream with book eleven fully formed in my head.

Romance will always be my first love but recently I was so influenced by a tiny polished plaque on a sea wall that I gave paranormal romance a try. (Echo Beach) Mixing the two genres was a real challenge for me but I was delighted with the result. Historical romance is going to be my next genre. All those fabulously titled and passionate men are impossibly hard to resist.

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